The two strikers were brilliant – Leon Best probably had his best game for me and didn’t score. I look at the strikers and say, ‘Prove to me I don’t need to sign one

Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew’s side continue to confound the sceptics who suggest their unbeaten start to the season – which now stretches to eight games in League and Cup – is just a flash in the pan.

Blackburn arrived seeking a sixth straight victory on Tyneside and their eighth successive game unbeaten against Toon.

Rovers boss Steve Kean booked his side into what they thought was their lucky hotel for this trip.

But it might as well have been Fawlty Towers for the good it ultimately did them.

Senegal striker Ba, signed this summer as a free agent from West Ham, opened his Newcastle goal account in some style.

But when his treble was completed in the 54th minute, it was hotly disputed, Blackburn claiming Leon Best impeded defender Scott Dann as Ba’s header eluded keeper Paul Robinson.

The visitors’ misery mounted on 70 minutes when winger Martin Olsson was sent off for an innocuous trip on Best, his second yellow card.

And there was more good news for Newcastle as French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa came on for Ba late on to make his first League appearance for nearly a year after a broken leg.

Blackburn owners Venky’s, who specialise in poultry processing, have spent relative chicken feed in the transfer market since buying the club ten months ago.

And Newcastle have hardly been dining at the rich man’s table under Mike Ashley’s thrifty regime.

But you can’t fault the entertainment value these sides have given lately.

They’ve both enjoyed 4-3 victories – Blackburn at home to Arsenal eight days ago, and Newcastle away to Nottingham Forest after extra-time in the Carling Cup on Tuesday – and the two teams have been paired in the fourth round next month at Ewood Park.

Blackburn went through after a 3-2 win at home to Leyton Orient last week where Simon Vukcevic struck his first Rovers goal on his full debut.

But the Montenegro man, who has England in his sights with the Euro 2012 qualifying visit of Fabio Capello’s men looming in under two weeks, was made to wait for his first League start since a £2million summer move from Sporting Lisbon.

Yakubu, who scored twice on his own debut in the drama with Arsenal, was deployed as a lone striker.

But it was Newcastle’s twin attack of Ba and Best who threatened early on.

Then Best wasted a good opening, blazing well over from inside the 18-yard box on the end of Gabriel Obertan’s right-wing pull-back.

Winger Junior Hoilett (below) used his pace and ingenuity on 18 minutes to weave his way in between Ryan Taylor and Jonas Gutierrez and into the box on the right before Toon skipper Fabricio Coloccini checked his progress with a vital challenge.

And Hoilett was almost on the end of things again in the 25th minute, Ryan Taylor doing enough to deny him after Olsson’s left-wing cross had caused the danger.

But the combination of Ba and Best paid dividends moments later. Best picked up the ball on the left and found Ba, who held off his man to take a touch and turn to hit a right-footed finish beyond Robinson.

Ba celebrated his maiden goal for the Magpies by kneeling and kissing the turf. Four minutes later, on the half-hour, he had a second.

Centre-back Steven Taylor climbed on the left to head into the area and when the ball was helped on, Ba nodded in.

But Toon’s two-goal advantage lasted for just seven minutes. Once more, it was Olsson and Hoilett creating havoc, the Swede swinging the ball across from the left for the Canadian to bring it under control neatly before rifling into the roof of the net for his first goal this season.

Pardew went potty on the touchline – and he was frustrated just before the break to see Best head over and Obertan drive wide after a great break.

Olsson was desperately close to levelling early in the second half when Michel Salgado crossed from the right and the winger’s header looped on to the bar.

But Newcastle were soon back in command – albeit with more than a hint of controversy.

Cheik Tiote knocked the ball in from the left and Ba’s towering header found its way in with Dann and Robinson unhappy about Best’s challenge.

Pardew said: “Demba Ba has had a slow start here because he went through Ramadan and that’s difficult because of the timing of it.

“At Aston Villa last week, I thought he was terrific without threatening the goal – but here he got his goals.

“The two strikers were brilliant – Leon Best probably had his best game for me and didn’t score. I look at the strikers and say, ‘Prove to me I don’t need to sign one’.

“The board have invested in the squad and we still have Davide Santon to come into the defence and Hatem Ben Arfa has come back, so we’re okay.”

Kean said: “Their third goal was a big turning point – we felt aggrieved because Leon Best bundled Scott Dann over. I don’t think you could see a clearer foul.”